Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo is congratulated by well-wishers after an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times Union) less

Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo is congratulated by well-wishers after an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times ... more

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Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo is congratulated by well-wishers after an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times Union) less

Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo is congratulated by well-wishers after an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times ... more

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Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo shares a smile with Mayor Gary McCarthy, who took the oath of office for a second term, at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times Union) less

Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo shares a smile with Mayor Gary McCarthy, who took the oath of office for a second term, at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at ... more

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Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo gets a hug from her rival for the post, Councilman Ed Kosiur, at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times Union) less

Newly sworn-in Schenectady City Council President Leesa Perazzo gets a hug from her rival for the post, Councilman Ed Kosiur, at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday at GE Theatre in Proctors. ... more

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Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy is sworn in to a second term by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat of Amsterdam, as McCarthy's wife, Caroline, holds a Bible at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday in the GE Theatre at Proctors. (Paul Grondahl / Times Union) less

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy is sworn in to a second term by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat of Amsterdam, as McCarthy's wife, Caroline, holds a Bible at an annual City Council organizational meeting Friday ... more

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Perazzo sworn in as Schenectady's new City Council president after battle

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Schenectady

After a bruising internal battle, Leesa Perazzo was sworn in as Schenectady's new City Council president Friday.

Perazzo hugged her rival as Democratic leaders presented a united front for about 200 of the party faithful in the GE Theatre at Proctors during the annual City Council organizational meeting.

"We must always strive for better," Perazzo said in brief remarks that made no mention of her clash with Councilman Ed Kosiur over the top post. "I'm ready. Now, let's get back to work."

"I'm content and happy to be the majority leader," Kosiur said afterward. "I'll work behind the scenes for the City Council president to help move the city forward."

He acknowledged his duel with Perazzo and added, "We all walked out of the room hand in hand."

"I feel good about the process," Perazzo said of the skirmish. "We have to put our differences aside and move the city forward."

Mayor Gary McCarthy was sworn in to a second term and in an abbreviated version of his State of the City address, he highlighted accomplishments of his first term, including chipping away at "a challenging fiscal situation" and seeking an improved bond rating.

He also claimed credit for one of the most effective programs at combating homelessness among veterans, for resurfacing 44 miles of roads last year, for creating six new playgrounds around the city in 2015 and attacking urban blight by tearing down 100 derelict buildings and bringing in $1 million for selling distressed properties the city seized in 2015.

McCarthy, who defeated challenger Roger Hull in November, spoke proudly of a $1 million investment in Central Park, including restoring the tennis courts. He saved his biggest hurrah for the start of construction of the Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor. McCarthy declared it "a transformative project."

He drew a murmur of chuckles when he promised that ground will be broken on a long-delayed new $15 million train station downtown in 2016. "It moved slower than many would have liked," he acknowledged.

Standing in front of a large screen with images projected of the city that was incorporated in 1798, McCarthy vowed to "write the next chapter in Schenectady's history." He described a new "smart city" high-tech initiative through a commission he will appoint next month.

McCarthy described Schenectady as a city on the rise. "The momentum is strong and we have a renewed sense of pride," he said, as the partisan crowd rose to applaud.

Also taking the oath of office were City Court Judge Mark Caruso, who ran unopposed, and Democrats on the City Council, Kosiur and newcomer John Polimeni. He made a rookie mistake by speaking nearly as long as the mayor. His lengthy remarks, which included quotes from Emerson and Proverbs, drew uncomfortable stirring of audience members.

Comic relief from the predictable proceedings was delivered by political maverick Vince Riggi, an independent and the leading vote-getter among City Council candidates in November. "I'm minority leader now and I had my first caucus this morning while I was shaving," he said. "There were no disagreements. It worked out great."